The present invention is related in general to rail vehicles having axles and masses which are sprung and movable relative to these axles. More particularly, the invention is directed to a system for detecting the relative position of said sprung masses relative to the track and relative to the single axles in view of obtaining, through processing of the detected data, information about the relative motions of each of these bodies (sprung mass/axles) both mutually and with respect to the track, on the basis of the dynamic interactions which are exchanged between these bodies.
In the field of railway vehicles it is known to provide the bogies thereof with optical detecting equipments, also with the aid of laser transducers, to the aim of inspecting and monitoring the railway line, for instance in terms of geometry, alignment and spacing of the rails. Examples representing these applications are disclosed and illustrated in French Patent Application FR-A-2.674.809 and in European Patent Application EP-A-0293015.
Other applications of optical detecting equipments on railway vehicles contemplate monitoring the contour profile of the wheels by means of optical laser transducers, such as in the case of British Patent Application GB-A-2,178.169.